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After a miraculous campaign last season, Stade Brest will be simply aiming to ensure they don’t massively drift this time around as they face Toulouse this weekend, who got their first win of the season last weekend.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Sunday 22nd September, 2024 - UK – 4:00pm / US ET – 11:00am / US PT – 8:00am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – beIN Sports
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Ligue 1 pass / US – beIN Sports
BREST PREVIEW: BRILLIANT BREST
Last season, despite having one of the smallest budgets in Ligue 1, Stade Brest managed to propel themselves to a third placed finish and achieve UEFA Champions League qualification as a result. They have lost some players over the summer and found things difficult at the start of this season but enjoyed a magical midweek.
In their first game of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League, Stade Brest hosted Austrian champions Sturm Graz in midweek and managed to defeat them by two goals to one. They have still lost three of their opening four matches in Ligue 1 but that victory in midweek will give them a boost of confidence.
TOULOUSE PREVIEW: TERRIFIC TOULOUSE
Under the management of Carlos Martinez Novell, Toulouse returned to the top-flight of French football in 2022 and they went and won the Coupe de France in their first season up. That meant their squad had to play UEFA Europa League football last year way ahead of schedule and it cost them.
However, once knocked out, they massively improved and they would like to believe they can now naturally grow into a top six side. After a difficult start to the campaign, the visitors come into this one on the back of a much-needed but impressive 2-0 defeat of Le Havre with late goals scored by Shavy Babicka and Yvon Gboho.
BREST TEAM NEWS: KEY MEN OUT
Brest’s slow-ish start to the season has been caused by departures and injuries to a couple of key players such as defender Bradley Locko and midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Le Cardinal, Haidara; Camara, Fernandes, Magnetti; Del Castillo, Ajorque, Sima
UNAVAILABLE: Locko (Injured), Lees-Melou (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
TOULOUSE TEAM NEWS: FULLY FIT TOULOUSE
Toulouse are blessed with a fully fit and available squad this weekend with no fresh injury concerns or suspension issues so they can name an unchanged eleven.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-2-1): Restes; Sidibe, Nicolaisen, McKenzie; Kamanzi, Sierro, Schmidt, Donnum; Aboukhlal, King; Gboho
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
BREST VS TOULOUSE PREDICTION
The thing that worried Brest supporters ahead of this season would have been the quite shallow squad that they have and, after their first game in the UEFA Champions League, those concerns can now be either fulfilled or argued against. Toulouse are a side that will seek to dominate possession and that may not aid a fatigued Brest side so it could well be a very good value bet to side with the visitors.
BREST VS TOULOUSE TIP: DOUBLE CHANCE – TOULOUSE TO WIN OR DRAW